Sending a Rocket to Alola
by Jordan.S14
Summary: Terra Vincent, former admin of Team Rocket, has spent the past few years in prison. However, she has been released early with the condition that she does something to prove she isn't a Rocket anymore. With no where else to go, she heads to Alola to live with an aunt she didn't know she had. (Full synopsis inside!)(Tentative M due to violence and language)
1. Introduction

Terra Vincent was once a high-ranking Team Rocket admin. Being plucked at a young age from a horrible home life, she devoted everything in her to her life and career there. She clawed her way up in rank, and was well-known throughout Kanto, despite most information about current Team Rocket being rather unclear to most people in the region. After a high-profile mission gone wrong, Terra ended up severely injured and thrown into prison. After pulling some strings, the detective in charge of her case was able to get her released early on one condition: she was not allowed to have her Pokémon back until she proved that she was a changed person. Unable to go back home, she is forced to move to Alola, a place she had never been to, and live with her aunt, a woman she has never met. (Follows the general plot line of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon) (Tentative M due to violence and language)

* * *

A few notes about the Pokémon universe in this story…

· Pokémon trainers start out at 16 rather than 10

· This takes place several years after Giovanni is defeated, meaning there's a new leader of Team Rocket

· Although Team Rocket is a problem again in Kanto, they are still very underground, so most of their plans and information about them is unknown to anyone not directly involved

· (I may add more notes later!)


	2. Prologue

The sun was beginning to set, but the thick, humid air still clung to Alola as Ivy Newton approached the lab of Professor Kukui located in the Hau'oli Outskirts of Melemele Island. She was wringing her hands nervously, anxiety knotting up her stomach. She shook her head and took a deep breath before entering the lab. Professor Kukui was squatting on the floor, affectionately ruffling the ears of a Rockruff.

"Professor?" Ivy greeted quietly, the door clattering shut behind her.

"Hey! Ivy!" Kukui greeted with a grin. He hopped to his feet, the little Rockruff scampering away and vanishing into another room, "What are you doing here so late?"

"Well I…" Ivy rubbed her arm and sighed, looking down at her feet, "I need your help." Kukui frowned, his face etched with concern. He motioned to a nearby table and the two sat down together.

"What's going on?" he asked, his tone serious and straight to the point. Ivy folded her hands on the table, staying silent for a moment as she tried to find the best way to tell him her situation.

"I recently had my niece contact me. She lives in Kanto," Ivy began. Kukui raised his eyebrows.

"A niece? In all the years you've lived here, you never mentioned you had any siblings. Let alone a niece."

"Yes, well, there is a reason I left Kanto," Ivy said sharply, "Anyway, I haven't seen my niece since she was a baby. In fact, she didn't even know I existed until very recently. She and her mother have a… strained relationship."

"So, why did she call so suddenly?"

"Well…" Ivy sighed and rubbed her forehead, "she's been in prison for the past couple of years. She was apparently a big name in Team Rocket, but she got caught and sent to jail." Kukui's eyes widened and he whistled in surprise, leaning back in his seat.

"Team Rocket? That's some serious business."

"Yes, apparently they're making a comeback in Kanto. I honestly have no idea how she got mixed up with them, but I have no doubt my sister had something to do with it," Ivy muttered bitterly, her hands curling into fists. Kukui leaned forward and gently patted her hands. She exhaled slowly, uncurling her hands and trying to calm herself.

"So, is she out of jail now?"

"She is, and she can't go home to her mother. So, she asked to come here and live with me. The detective in charge of her case pulled some strings, and they're letting her go on the condition that she proves that she has changed and that she isn't the same Rocket she used to be."

"Did you agree?" Kukui asked. Ivy sighed and nodded.

"I couldn't say no. The poor girl has no one else," she muttered solemnly. Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the loft behind them. Both jumped and turned in surprise to see the blonde girl standing at the top of the stairs, eyes wide at the overturned table beside her.

"I-I'm sorry," she squeaked, scrambling to fix the table.

"I didn't know some else was here," Ivy snapped, jumping to her feet.

"Now now, it's fine Ivy," Kukui laughed, waving for her to sit back down, "This is Lillie. Burnet and I have been helping her out. She's staying with me for a little while. If anything, she can help you. Lillie, come join us." Ivy's jaw tightened, but she still returned to her seat, her eyes boring into Lillie. Lillie hurried down the stairs and over to them, her cheeks pink.

"I'm not really sure how I can help," she muttered.

"Well, neither you nor Ivy's niece know anyone around here. She'll need a friend. Maybe you can help her," Kukui suggested. Lillie hesitated and glanced at Ivy before looking down.

"I-I'm not really sure I can be around a member of Team Rocket," she said quietly, fidgeting and keeping her eyes focused on the floor.

"She's changed, Lillie," Ivy replied.

"Well, Lillie does have a fair point, Ivy. I'm not meaning this offensively, but how do you know she's changed? You hardly know the girl. You yourself said you hadn't seen her since she was a baby," Kukui pointed out. Ivy sighed heavily, rubbing her palms up and down her face for a moment before staring up at the ceiling with misty eyes.

"You're right. I haven't seen her in years. I barely know her. When I spoke to her on the phone, she was cold and distant at first. But then, she explained why they're letting her go early, and their one condition they have. Proving she isn't a Rocket anymore. But there's more to it than that. They're keeping her Pokemon. Unless she proves that she has changed, she'll never get them back. When she brought that up, she completely lost it. She broke down crying to me, begging for help. She doesn't know what to do, or how to prove it to them. She just wants her Pokemon back. They're all she has left," Ivy paused for a moment, wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes, "She may have been a Rocket in the past, but she's changed. She loves her Pokemon, and she's willing to do anything to get them back." Lillie gasped slightly, covering her mouth.

"Oh, that's awful," she whispered. Kukui frowned, rubbing his chin.

"Maybe we can help her. Convince her to take the Trial. That's a pretty big tradition around here, and it's huge in our community. Perhaps bonding with a new team and embracing our region's traditions will show them that she's changed," he suggested. Ivy smiled and nodded.

"That's a great idea," she looked over at Lillie, "will you help?" Lillie looked between the two of them before giving a small smile and nodding.

"Of course."

A deafening silence clung to the inside of the black SUV as it rumbled down a dirt road on Route 5 in Kanto. Terra was leaning against the tinted window, instinctively watching Detective Leon Hawthorne as he drove out of the corner of her eye. She continued to move her gaze from the gun on his belt, to his face, to his hands on the steering wheel, still not completely trusting that they had really decided to let her go so soon. Terra jumped slightly and looked up when they came to a stop outside of the large, secluded house. A knot twisted itself in her stomach and the familiarity of her old home and the realization that it would never be her home again hit her like a brick.

"Are you sure that Morgan won't be here?" Leon asked, turning to look at her.

"I'm sure."

"But you've been gone for a few years. Her routine may have changed."

"Team Rocket doesn't change."

"What if she left? She was your best friend and partner, after all."

"If she wouldn't stop to help me escape the police, she wouldn't leave Team Rocket for me. Trust me." Terra opened the door and hopped out, "I'll be back," she added, shutting the door and heading inside with the key she still had.

"Didn't change the locks. Either they abandoned this place or figured I'd never get out," she muttered, shutting the door behind her. Terra exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself as her heart rate accelerated. The entire house looked as though it was still being lived in. _Guess it was the latter._ Morgan had clearly been unaffected by Terra's arrest and lived here just fine without her. Scoffing, Terra headed down the hallway toward her old room. It felt so strange opening that door and entering that room after everything that had happened. So much had changed since the last time she was there. And yet, the room sat the exact way she had left it years ago. A layer of dust lay over everything, as though not a soul had entered for years. Terra gripped the doorknob so tight that her knuckles turned white. Morgan hadn't even gone in her room since she had been gone. _She didn't even care that I was gone. She didn't give a fuck. Just kept on going about her life without me. Like I didn't even matter._ Terra growled and slammed her first into the door, easily punching a hole through the weak wood. She yanked her hand out of the door and stared around the room. Every vibrant red R she saw set her more and more on edge. Everything she had thought her life was was a lie. Everything she believed was a lie. Everyone she thought cared about her were just a lie. She gritted her teeth, ripping things off walls and out of drawers. Everything she could find with a Rocket logo on it, she dragged out into the dining room. But the rage kept building in her. It was almost like every logo she saw filled her with more anger than a raging Gyarados. She started ripping apart everything she could, cutting uniforms and clothes with knives and covering the floor with the remains. Terra froze suddenly, finding herself clutching her very first uniform in her hands. A hurricane of emotions erupted inside of her, taking her breath away and sapping the strength from her body. She collapsed to her knees, a scream tearing from her throat as she tore the uniform apart. Her scream was brimmed with rage and grief and all the emotions she had kept inside for years. Her body crumpled to the floor and she curled up in the fetal position. Her whole body seized with sobs that wracked her chest and stole the breath from her lungs. _I have nothing now. No one. My whole life has led to this, but why? What have I done to deserve this?_ Her gasping sobs slowly calmed, though tears still dripped down her face.

"No, Terra," her voice cracked as she spoke to herself, "You can't give up. They aren't worth it. Your Pokemon are depending on you. Things are different now. But you'll always have them." After a few moments of slow, calming breaths, she wiped her eyes and climbed to her feet. With a clearer head, she went back to her old room. She gathered together any clothes she could find that didn't have the Rocket logo on them, her hidden stash of money, a few of her old daggers, and one of her handguns. She shoved everything into a garbage bag and paused, gazing at the destruction in the dining room. She grabbed one of the many Rocket bandanas she had owned, set it on the table, and stabbed one of her daggers directly through the R and embedded it deep into the table. She dropped her house key next to it and headed outside. Terra tossed the bag into the backseat of the SUV and hopped back into the front seat. She looked over at Leon, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I need to do some shopping before I leave for Alola."


	3. Chapter 1

Terra gazed out the plane window, her mind lost in the clouds. As though, for a moment, she was disconnected from everything that had happened over the past few years. All the feelings that swarmed in her mind seemed to dissipate as she watched the swirling, white clouds sweep by like an ocean below them. But these were childish thoughts. All the things that had happened, did. Looking at clouds wasn't going to change that. She was still there, on a flying boat, with several other people, heading to a region she had never been to before. A sigh escaped her and she looked back down at the book in her lap. _Alola: History and Culture_. She had picked it up to read so she wasn't so incredibly clueless about the region she was moving to. And she had read it nearly three times during the flight. Terra pressed her forehead to the cool glass of the window, her migraine beginning to throb behind her eyes. The anxiety of going to a new region to live with an aunt she didn't even know she had until a few weeks ago was just getting to be too much for her to handle. Her heart was pounding violently against her ribs, her breath catching in her throat and making her feel like she was suffocating.

"Relax. Slow your breathing," she whispered very quietly to herself, her hands tightly gripping the arm rests. She kept herself focused on her breathing. In and out. In and out. Until it slowed down to a normal rate and her heart started to relax. She slumped back into her seat, exhaling heavily. _Boy oh boy if they could see me now. Big bad Frostbite reduced to a panicking, anxiety ridden shell._ Terra rubbed her forehead, cursing under her breath. _No. Stop it. That isn't you anymore. You're no longer Frostbite of Team Rocket. You are Terra Vincent. Average Pokémon trainer just heading to a new region for a new adventure._ She slid her aviators on, doing her best to block the sunlight from her throbbing head. She slid the blinds down over the window, and fell into this half-conscious daze. She couldn't completely fall asleep, but she tried to at least let go and rest.

Terra suddenly jerked forward when the plane splashed into its landing. She must have missed the announcement that they were landing soon. Opening the window shade again, she gazed outside. The boat docked on a small wooden pier, a few people hurrying about to secure it there.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Terra jumped again, looking up to see the flight attendant standing by her seat. Her pink hair was pinned into a bun and her pretty face was etched with gentle concern.

"Y-yeah I'm alright. Sorry I just… Got a migraine and I think I dozed off," Terra muttered.

"Would you like some medicine? We keep some up front."

"Oh, no. Thank you though."

"Let me know if you change your mind. We'll be able to get off shortly," she gave Terra a sweet smile before moving down the aisle to check on the rest of the passengers. Terra waited anxiously until the captain gave them the okay to leave. Slinging her duffle bag over her shoulder, she hurried down the stairs and onto the pier. She grabbed her suitcase from an attendant and glanced around for any sight of her aunt. But she was pretty hard to miss due to the big sign she was holding with "Welcome to Alola, Terra!" written on it in bright green and decorated with flowers and hearts. Smiling a little, Terra hurried over to meet her. When she got a good look at her, her breath caught in her throat. She looked so similar to Terra's mother. The same lovely, dark brown hair Lily once had. The same facial structure, before the drugs caused Lilly's skin to sink into her bones. Though her tan complexion was very distant from her mother's sickly pale, almost yellow one. But it was her eyes that struck Terra like a fucking Thunderbolt. They were a beautiful, shining green. They were so bright, compared to the dead, empty look her mother had in her brown ones. They were full of hope and kindness. Something Terra had never seen before. At least, not in a very very long time.

"Oh Terra! Look at you, you've grown into such a beautiful woman. Gosh, you were so tiny when I last saw you!" her aunt said when Terra approached her, throwing her arms around her neck in a tight hug. Terra froze, unsure of how to react.

"H-hi Aunt Ivy," she muttered. Ivy pulled back quickly and gave her a kind smile, though her cheeks were a little pink.

"I'm sorry about that. I should've asked if I could give you a hug first! Where have my manners gone," Ivy paused to laugh, fidgeting with the end of her poster, "Sorry if I startled you. I'm just so excited you're here."

"It's alright," Terra assured her. Ivy give her another big smile.

"Would you like to see your new home? All my Pokémon are excited to meet you."

"Sounds great." The two set off toward the bustling city before them. Pokémon and trainers alike strolled through the city. It was busy, sure, but it was nothing compared to the massive cities in Kanto.

"So, this is Hau'oli City. It's a pretty big city, comparatively speaking. Very popular tourist attraction. In fact, I run a shop here!" Ivy explained. Terra raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What kind of shop?"

"A flower shop! I grow all kinds of flowers and plants at my home and I sell them. I create traditional leis and all kinds of flower arrangements. Tourists and locals love it!"

"Oh cool. Sounds like you're passionate about it."

"Extremely. I've always had a passion for gardening," Ivy sighed happily, a bit of a bounce in her step. The two fell into a bit of silence as they walked down the sidewalk in Hau'oli. The passed a small beach, where a few children were running around with Pokémon and some other people were lounging in the sand. Terra's eye twitched slightly, the pulsing in her head steadily intensifying and her heartbeat starting to pick up. She fumbled into her pocket to pull out a cigarette and lighter.

"You don't mind if I smoke, do you?" she asked. Ivy glanced over at her.

"No, not at all!" she said with a forced smile. Terra shrugged and lit the cigarette, taking a long drag. The slow exhale of smoke synced with her slowing heart. The throbbing faded a tiny bit and the tension in her body started to loosen. She took the moments of silence to study her aunt. She still reminded Terra of her mom in many ways, but rather than being a sickly, shell of a woman, she was a healthy weight. Dressed in white shorts, dirty tennis shoes, and a flowery tank top. Not a surprising outfit for such a hot region. She had an energetic, bouncy walk. Though an odd look had fallen over her face.

"You don't like that I smoke?" Terra said abruptly. Ivy jumped a little, her eyes widening.

"W-well, no, it's not exactly healthy. You're so young and smoking is so damaging to your body. But, I mean, it isn't really my place to tell you want to do or how to live your life. I'm not your mother after-" Ivy froze, in her words and steps, and gasped, covering her mouth. Terra stopped too, raising her eyebrow at her. Sure, the mention of her mother made her stomach twist into a million knots. But the horrified look on her aunt's face showed she felt about the same as Terra did. She did her best to give a nonchalant shrug.

"No, you're not. And even if you were, you wouldn't give a shit about what I do," Terra muttered and continued walking. Ivy hurried to catch up.

"I'm sorry…" she began, but trailed off into silence.

"For what? Mentioning my mother or just her in general?"

"Well… I guess both."

"Mentioning her, obviously I can forgive. I figured she'd be brought up at some point. She is your sister, after all. As for her in general, I have pretty much come to except how much of a fucking terrible human being she is." Terra's voice had a sharp edge to it, her hands tightening around the bag and suitcase she was carrying. Ivy gave a sad smile, and the two fell into silence again. The sights of the city abruptly broke away to lush trees, rustling grass, and bright wild flowers.

"This place is called Hau'oli Outskirts. Not a whole lot of people live out here, so it's very peaceful," Ivy had resumed her chipper voice, smiling kindly at Terra.

"It sounds nice."

"It is! Oh, it's so lovely and peaceful and I can spend so much time just gardening and spending time with my Pokémon without any interruption from busy city life. Moving to Alola was probably the best decision I've ever made."

"Glad I came here then. I need calm and relaxing," Terra sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Headache?

"Migraine."

"You know, wearing that probably doesn't help considering the heat," Ivy mused. Terra looked down at her clothes. Black skinny jeans, black combat boots, and a dark red hoodie. Terra just shrugged.

"I can handle it," she remarked. Ivy laughed and shook her head.

"I don't doubt that. Ah, and here we are!" Ivy said. They had arrived at a lovely, green and brown colored house nestled among the nature of the area. It seemed almost overgrown, but in a pretty way, with flowers of all kinds and colors. They sprouted from gardens about everywhere someone could plant flowers. In the front and around the side, in flower pots cluttering the front porch, in window pots, in hanging planters around the house, and Terra couldn't even imagine what her back yard looked like.

"You weren't kidding about the flowers," Terra laughed.

"I suppose they can be a bit overwhelming at first," Ivy mused, "Well, come on in!" Terra tried to ignore the new knot that was forming in her stomach and followed her aunt as she excitedly ran inside. Just like the outside, the inside of her house was dotted with potted plants across a natural green and brown colored design.

"Mrreow!" the cry came from the couch and a Meowth came scampering up to Ivy in excitement. He was wearing a collar with an Everstone carved into the shape of a moon on it.

"Nepeta! I missed you too!" Ivy giggled, scooping up the Pokemon, "This is Terra. Terra, this is my partner and best friend, Nepeta."

"Hello," Terra greeted gently. The Meowth peered up at her with a tilt of his head then chirped and smiled in greeting.

"Everyone else should be outside. C'mon!" Ivy waved her toward the back door, sliding it open. Just as Terra had expected, the back yard was full of flowers and berry trees. As she took it all in, her aunt started pointing out her Pokemon and explaining their names. Iris the Leafeon was tending to a small herb garden on the back porch, but the remaining Pokemon were among the large garden. Bluebell the Wooper was watering the flowers, with Hibiscus the Bellossom gently guiding him. Lotus the Ludicolo and Buttercup the Oricorio were dancing nearby, while Cosmos the Comfey and Honeysuckle the Cutiefly were fluttering about the flowers. Yarrow the Sandslash was digging small spots for new flowers to be planted and Mimosa the Scyther was cutting weeds. Snapdragon the Lurantis was standing on the outskirts, arms crossed indifferently. Terra was immediately overwhelmed with the names and greetings of all the Pokémon when they realized she had arrived. Some were extremely energetic, like Cosmos and Honeysuckle, who eagerly huddled up to her face to say hello. Others, like Yarrow and Snapdragon, stayed away for the most part. Her mind buzzed and everything blurred together as anxiety gripped her lungs. She only vaguely remembered Ivy ushering her back inside and showing her to her room before leaving her to settle. Terra crumpled onto the bed, her things dropped carelessly on the floor. She took a few moments to calm her pounding heart and clear her mind, her consciousness slowly reconnecting to her body. She took her time getting up and unpacking, stashing things away in the simple wooden dresser. She set her sunglasses on the bedside table and headed out of the room.

"I thought I'd make us a nice dinner. What do you say?" Ivy chimed from the kitchen, Nepeta perched on her shoulder and Iris standing on the counter beside her.

"Sounds good," Terra replied.

"What would you like?" she asked, spinning around. When she caught sight of Terra her eyes nearly doubled in size and she gasped loudly. Terra froze, anxiety gripping her again and her had instinctively going up to the scar stretching across the right side of her face and down her neck.

"Yeah I know everyone reacts like that," she muttered.

"No no it's not that," Ivy replied frantically, "It's just… I didn't notice until now because your sunglasses but… You look just like your father." Her aunt's words made Terra's heart skip a beat and unable to form any words in response. Her mother never spoke of her father, except for when she blamed her for causing him to leave.

"I… Uhm…" Terra looked down, "Thanks…" They were both silent for a moment, before Ivy cleared her throat.

"Does spaghetti sound good?"

"Yeah." The rest of the night passed rather peacefully, with good food and small talk. Terra finally excused herself to her bedroom, locking the door out of habit. She peeled her clothes off to get ready for bed, but paused when she caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. Her aunt's comment echoed in her head as she looked at her messy head of fiery red curls and her icy blue eyes that were sunken into her skull and accented with dark circles. Her skin was pale, but there were defined muscles underneath, covered in various scars that she forgot the story behind. Her fingers traced the long scar across her cheek, down her neck and onto her collarbone, shuddering at the memory. She shook her head, touching the small markings on her lip and ears where her piercings used to be, before she was arrested and forced to remove them. She felt nauseated at the sight of her tattoos; a red R on her left forearm, the large, pointed tooth grin across her lower back, and the calligraphic words "Frost" and "Bite" across her thighs. She gently touched the scar on her abdomen that tore through her tattoo and winced as memories of the bullet tearing through her body flashed through her mind. Her heart started racing, climbing up into her throat and taking her breath away. She tore herself from the mirror, pulling a long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants onto her body to hide from it. She crawled under the covers, tears pricking her eyes and her breath shallow gasps. _God I'm such a mess. What am I supposed to do now? Maybe I should've just stayed locked up._


End file.
